Forsaken
“What am I, you ask? Well, '' I could not say for sure: for I am both living and dead, abandoned and'' not abandoned at the same time, and more and less than my former self. For one, my body aches for the comfort of eternal slumber; but for another, my heart yearns for the wonders of a perpetual existence……” — Markus Weber, scholar, historian, philosopher and rector of the Cult of the Forgotten Shadow, commenting on the nature of their existence The Forsaken, or at times the Undead Forsaken or simply the Undead, are what remains of the former glorious and powerful human kingdom of Lordaeron, destroyed and left in ruin following Arthas’ disastrous wake, the majority of its population slaughtered and raised through the Dark Arts to be enslaved under the iron will of the fallen prince, committing countless atrocities as mindless servants loyal to a dark cause. After being freed from the will of the dark prince by Sylvanas Windrunner during the Third War, the Forsaken are finally left to forge their own fates. Although their minds were liberated, their hearts and bodies were not: abandoned by the world of the living and the dead, they were trapped in a state of perpetual limbo and darkness. With thousands of atrocities etched in their eyes, their minds were burdened with horror and guilt; their senses dulled by the touch of death, forever unable to feel the warmth of the sun or savor the taste of fine wine; their faith lost, along with all sense of direction and pride that filled their lives when they still breathed. They were truly Forsaken, as the Banshee Queen aptly renamed their fallen race, a lost people of a lost nation. Although technically encompassing any reanimated individual freed from the grasp of the Lich King, the majority of the population remains to be the former humans of Lordaeron, with a considerable number, including their revered liberator and queen, of former high elves of Quel’thalas. Their numbers currently are around a million. The curse, or blessing considered by some, of undeath had greatly influenced the physical attributes of the Forsaken, else wise they are largely similar to their former selves, many retaining the personalities of their previous lives. However, the torment the race had been through had left many of its members bitter and cynical, accompanied by the previous belligerent and aggressive disposition of Lordaeron, the Forsaken have become ruthless and cold, holding aversion to almost all living beings. Furthermore, their cadaverous appearance usually arouse disgust and contempt in most living races, and are abandoned by their previous allies, who consider them little different from the scourge. The Forsaken, as former Lordaeronians, are proud of their heritage, and consider themselves the last true descendants of the Aeonic-speaking population that originally settled in Tirisfal. Abandoning Common used by their allies, the Forsaken embrace their Aeonic heritage by adopting the black market jargon Gutterspeak, a mixed language based on High Common, Thalassian and a bit of Dwarvish. In battle they still bear the banners of their fallen kingdom, and in formal documents they are still referred to as the Kingdom of Lordaeron. They try to return to their way of life before they were reanimated and strive to preserve their culture by establishing a settlement just beneath their former capital, and embrace their former ideas of civil service, aristocracy and knighthood and chivalry, albeit twisted in mockery of the ways of the living. Many priests and paladins return to faith in Light, although also twisted in a rebellious mindset that their faith abandoned them, they now worship its other side, Shadow. Those who still hold faith in their previous religion remain avid followers of their former beliefs. The physique of the Forsaken have significantly changed compared to their former lives: they do not need to breath, eat, sleep or drink, nor could they feel any sort of physical stimulation effectively, if not at all. Their muscles are in a constant state of atrophy and decay, barely held together by the dark necromancy that sustains their state of undeath. Like all other undead creatures, the power of the Light is extremely painful when used upon them, not to mention when wielded by them, which makes the Forsaken priests and paladins individuals of extreme willpower and resolve. Otherwise, they are very similar to what they once were, capable of advanced mental processing, logical deduction, sophisticated lingual expression, as well as displaying a wide range of emotions. Similar to their living counterparts, the Forsaken are a social race, preferring to be in company of one another, especially with those of their own. They value cooperation, persistence and hardworking, and retain their natural curiosity towards their environment. They are also as self-centered as their living counterparts, albeit in a much more united way, advocating social values such as the obliteration of the individual, devotion towards the social community and loyalty. History Politics Government As remembrance of their former ways of life, the Forsaken retain most of the governmental structure of the Kingdom of Lordaeron, keeping roughly the same offices and aristocratic families before the culling. However, many of the noble houses are either completely destroyed beyond all restoration or still under the sway of the Lich King, and with the royal bloodline gone, the seat of the monarch lies empty without claimant. Despite the tireless efforts of the Forsaken, they were compelled to face the truth that they were hardly the proud human kingdom they once were. Under such circumstances, the Forsaken looked towards their great liberator and savior, the reanimated Sylvanas Windrunner, now the self-proclaimed “Banshee Queen”, as their source of hope for returning to the former glory of their cursed race, and dedicated their hearts and minds to their Dark Lady. Most of the Forsaken are fearsomely devoted to their Banshee Queen to nearly the state of worship, even extending such a dedication to their daily regards. Loyal beyond question, many of them would die to protect their great leader. Although self-claimant as “Queen”, there are no progenies nor relatives heir to Sylvanas; since the status of undeath grants her near immortality, and that the loyalty of the Forsaken lies only to her as an individual instead of a royal bloodline, the Kingdom of Lordaeron could no longer technically be considered a feudal monarchy. Instead it is considered a conciliatory totalitarian state, where an extremely large portion of power is controlled by the Banshee Queen and her Leiters Council, a cooperative of advisors, military commanders, religious leaders, court officials and aristocrats, ruled by four noble lords: two former human and two former elven. They serve as the supreme leaders of the nation and dissidents to the system are few, as those who are usually face fates worse than death. Despite established as the Kingdom of Lordaeron, their political status is refused to be acknowledged by nations of the Alliance, who look down upon the Forsaken as vermin little different to the scourge, ceasing all diplomatic procedures and enforcing an embargo on the nation, this has resulted in mass boycott towards Alliance goods and severe deterioration in diplomatic relations between the kingdom and its former allies, and is one of the leading factors that the kingdom joined the Horde. The Banshee Queen The Banshee Queen, often referred to as the Dark Lady, is the honorific title to the current ruler of the Kingdom of Lordaeron, Sylvanas Windrunner. Nominally her decision-making power is supreme; however, in actuality, most of her power is delegated to the Leiters Council, only personally dealing with foreign policy and issues of state. In theory, she does not hold power over the military, which is vested with the Grand Executor. However, the Deathstalkers answer only to the Dark Lady herself. Thus far, however, the majority of the Forsaken holds unquestioning loyalty towards their Dark Lady. This would suggest that the Banshee Queen possesses overwhelming control over the nation and therefore whose rule is supreme. Sylvanas, as the liberator of the Forsaken, has an immense cult of personality surrounding her; being touted and revered nation-wide, and is an inspiration to all Forsaken. Her political shrewdness and determination has secured her people a steadfast position amongst the ranks of the Horde, who in turn regard her with suspicious eyes, and is recognized as a ruthless strongwoman across the world. The Leiteren Council The Leiteren (“heads” in High Common) Council is the collection of advisors serving under the Banshee Queen, established to aid in her rule of the country and are held responsible for all domestic, diplomatic, economic and military decisions within the country. The Leiters Council is headed by four aristocratic lords, two former human and two former high elf, representing the two largest population groups of the current Kingdom of Lordaeron; the rest of the council consists of a collection of twenty two individuals, including the two Archvicars of the Cult of the Forgotten Shadow; the Grand Apothecary of the Royal Apothecary Society and his aide; the Grand Executor and the Champion of the Banshee Queen; the Meister of Merchants; the Meister of Scholars; the Meister of Ships and the Meister of Constructors, as well as an assortment of minor advisors and fallen nobles. The council convenes every fourteen nights in the Chamber of Whispers just beyond the Black Hall in the Royal Quarters, the council will appeal to the four noble lords, who sit upon a balcony in the front of the room. A seat in middle of the noble lords is reserved for the Banshee Queen, who would be present when she is available. In her absence, the four lords will decide on her behalf amongst themselves. When the lords are divergent in opinion, they could propose a vote to pass an enactment in which at least thirteen votes are required to pass. Royal Apothecary Society The Royal Apothecary Society, although not technically politically associated, is arguably the most influential organization within the kingdom besides the Cult of the Forgotten Shadow. Consisting of a wide variety of scholars, mages, alchemists and engineers, the Society is the heart of Forsaken progress and knowledge. Based in the Apothecarium, deep within the bowels of their black academy, the most brilliant minds of the kingdom work in fetid laboratories and infernal forges, churning out ever so bizarre contraptions that would shock even the most talented dwarven engineer, dreadful creatures that would turn the stomach of the most experienced warrior and violent poisons and diseases whose formulae would confound even the most learned of epidemiologists; but most of all, passing on their knowledge to students aspiring to join in the little-known workshops and contribute their own wisdom. A tightly-knit guild, the Royal Apothecary Society shuns outsiders, jealously guarding the secrets of their creations to only the highest members of the court, the black robed members of the academy are enigmas to the Forsaken themselves, with many sinister suspicions and theories about them, many evolving into slanders and whispers of treason. Nevertheless, as perhaps the most important group to the under-kingdom, perhaps even superseding their religious counterparts, they are extremely wealthy and powerful, with eyes and ears all over the world. Since the Forsaken joined the Horde, the Royal Apothecary Society had expanded their influence to distant lands, gathering knowledge on the exotic while acting as spies for the Banshee Queen, at the same time taking in new members interested in their line of work and bringing them in as allies. Few have extended their dissatisfaction to such an act of power grab, for those who do end up in the sewers with a poisoned knife in their ribs, or even worse, disappear into the barbed gates of the academy to be never seen again. The Banshee Queen is well aware of the overwhelming influence of the organization and has thus taken heed to position an extra group of Deathstalkers around their headquarters and had given orders to the Grand Executor that should one day their loyalty show to falter, their properties be sure to be confiscated and their likes driven out. Diplomacy Economy "Them manlings o'south forbids trade with the white buggers, I say 'blast 'em'! Every ploughin' guildsman who has his mind in the right place knows that the dead manlings produce the best alchemic brews north of Thandol's old crooker! Just be careful talking to 'em, right wicked they are." — Balzad Greymead, Dwarven merchant in Stormwind Culture Language Religion Society Although outrightly degraded as creations of darkness and mindless slaves of an evil tyrant by their former allies, the social system of the Forsaken, ironically, is much more liberal and equal than many of the hegemonic human nations. It associates members of the society of equal value, regardless of faith, origin, social status or profession, all members of the Forsaken are considered brothers-and-sisters-in-death; and the aristocracy merely serves as a symbol of their past while at the same time act as national leaders. Since death had stripped them of most of their mortal senses, their requirement for material wealth and enjoyment have dimmed, if not vanished altogether; thus, all property and wealth of the nation belongs to state authority, where it is used to fund the construction of the nation and feed the Forsaken war machine. Since the population of the nation is no longer living, and the land cursed by black magic, nearly unable to grow anything of edible value, agriculture has been abandoned altogether in favor for a larger labor force in manufacture, alchemy, military service and research into the arcane arts. Most of those who perviously made a living as meagre peasants in life could now find employment as merchants, craftsmen, tailors, even pursue education to become an Archvicar, a Black Cloak, or even a Grand Apothecary or Warlock-Engineer. The idea of a society that is established on the contribution of individuals instead of predetermined social classes, would seem preposterous in the eyes of most of the human nations. As descendents of the Aeonics, the people of Lordaeron are not only known for their pride and damning ego, they are also known for their diligence, persistance and scholarly rigorousness. These qualities, being carried on to the Forsaken, makes them some of the most progressive people in Azeroth, able to understand and master many of the dark magi-science used by the scourge to develop their terrible armies. The Forsaken value education and knowledge, as the Royal School of Alchemy and the Dark Arts, its campus situated in both the Magic Quarter and the Apothecarium, is one of the most budding academic schools dedicated to alchemy, metallurgy, engineer magery, theoretic and applied necromancy in the world. The armed dead of the Forsaken armies are strictly disciplined and systematically trained, combining drilling methods of both Lordaeron and Thalassian origins, and are equipped with weapons forged with meticulous care using materials designed and crafted in the laboratories of the Apothecarium. Although most of the population is now taking residence in the bellows of their putrid under-kingdom, there is still a portion of the population who refuses to leave the home of their lives, where they lived, died and were reanimated. These families take up residence in former townships guarded by restless members of the Deathguard, keeping vigil against the wild creatures that would harass the population. These residents strive as much as possible to restore their villages and now many of these townships provide lodging and basic service to Horde travelers staying on their lands since the construction of the zeppelin tower near Brill, which establishes a mercantile and transportation airway between Orgrimmar and the Undercity. Military Forsaken Infantry * Deathguards '– Numerous and undead, the Deathguards make up the bulk of the Forsaken army. Capable of enduring vastly harsher conditions than living troops, the tireless Deathguard can march for days, even weeks. Former farmers or members of local militias, they are largely expendable; given most basic training and many armed with the chipped and decaying weapons they held when they died. They are tasked with mundane tasks such as guarding military outposts or performing long, boring border patrols, leaving more important and sensitive operations to elite forces. * 'Throat Seekers '– A dreadful derogatory given to the Forsaken Ranger Corps, earning it through their fearsome training to aim at the vulnerable necks of foes. Armed with an assortment of crossbows, bows and arbalests, these hooded warriors were former woodsmen and hunters or promoted from the ranks of Deathguards, trained in the arts of unconventional warfare and marksmanship by the Dark Rangers, they are elite skirmishers and excellent scouts. * 'Deathwarders '– The nickname given to the Royal Strumabteilung, a division of light assault infantry tasked with breaking enemy defense lines. Chosen from the ranks of Deathguards who distinguished themselves in battle for skill and willingness to sacrifice, these Forsaken troopers are lightly armored in mail and leather and carry wickedly barbed short blades forged in the infernal furnaces of the Apothecarium, as well as bandoliers of grenades and explosives infused with dark magic. They are fully dedicated to the frontlines and prepared to embrace true death to aid their comrades' advance. * 'Aseptics '– The armed branch of the Cult of the Forgotten Shadow, these fanatics are as fearless as they are dead as they seek true death to ascend and become one with the shadow. Armed with flails and wickedly fashioned staffs, these monks charge into the fray yelling incomprehensible phrases from their dark sacred tomes, seeking to slaughter those who betrayed them in twisted devotion. * 'Ascendants '– Ascendants are the warrior-priests of the Cult, selected from the ranks of aseptics who have proven their dedication to the Way. Put under the tutelage of the Archvicars, the ascendants gain better understanding of the shadow and put thus knowledge into arduous practice. They are often seen maintaining the sacred temples of the Cult, but when times are needed they show their true colors as formidable combatants, confounding foes with simple shadow spells while striking the killing blow with their ritual scythes. * 'Plaguebringers '– One of the most fearsome regiments in the Forsaken army, they are two-body weapons teams armed with a blightspreader, a vile weapon that showers foes with sickly, black-green corrosive liquids containing plague agents that are so potent that could even destroy the dead, and melt flesh off the bone of a living creature in mere seconds. * 'Luitdorf Troopers '– Heavily armored shock troopers armed with the "Luitdorf Weapon", a fearsome hand-held device that discharges black-blue arcs of lightning enhanced by dark magic when fired. They are called in when situations are most desperate, as their powerful weapon is as dangerous to their foes as to their own. * 'Dreadguards '– The Banshee Queen's personal guard, the dreadguards are heavily armored foot soldiers armed with large, curved swords called Kloydenspeals. Formerly an elite Lordaeronian infantry formation known simply as the "Black Brigade", the dreadguards are the most disciplined and deadly warriors within the Forsaken army, and commanding a company of these hardened warriors is considered a great honor and a symbol of trust from the Dark Lady. Charging headlong into battle shouting the name of their fallen kingdom, their terrifying black armor and cruel blades are the nightmare of many Alliance commanders. * 'Corvian Auxilleries '– Corvian auxilleries are the combination of what's left of the Lordaeronian Rifle Corps with the civil auxillery forces of the Duchy of Corvia. Few in numbers, these expert marksmen are instead tasked with battlefield reconnaissance, special operations and assassination. Armed with the Artenburg Firelock, a longrifle designed on basis of the dwarven longrifle, these master snipers are able to easily drop an armored knight from a hundred paces and cover their tracks before anyone realizes. Forsaken Cavalry * 'Dark Knights '– the Dark Knights are the remainder of the once-powerful and numerous knightly orders of the Kingdom, who were once the backbone of the military might of the mighty nation. Skilled and noble warriors, they were once the paragons of the human warrior. Now, bound to a dark destiny, their once proud hearts are now as cold and bitter as their blades and they seek nothing more than sweet vengeance against those who betrayed their beloved nation. Clad in sinister-looking ebony armor and wielding cruel yet eerily elegant runeblades, riding atop ghastly skeletal chargers, they would put any Stormwindian knight to shame, with only perhaps the Silvermoon Blood Knights on par with their skill. * 'Royal Bat Knights '– An elite division of the Royal Armed Fellow-Brothers of the Black Moon, these terrifying undead knights ride into battle atop barbed mistbats, a frequent beast of the dark fairy tales since before the fall of the Kingdom and one of the most feared creatures that have terrified the glades of Tirisfal. Considered elite amongst elite, these experience riders are as brutal as their bloodthirsty mounts and seek to claim the head of those who wronged them while their mounts sink their claws into armor and feast on the blood and flesh of their foes. Forsaken Warbeasts * 'Blightcrawlers '– A rather pitiful creation compared to the other works of the Royal Apothecary Society at first glance, the small size of the octopodal creature belies its dangerous nature. Created through the experimentation of the giant spiders in southern Silverpine, the blightcrawlers' abdomens carry a gland that secretes a highly volatile toxic substance that is mixed with the plague agents carried within their body, its potency able to kill a fully grown man with a single drop. * 'Plague Hounds '– Horrifically mutated by dark magic, these dire wolves bear little semblance to their former selves, becoming little more than a grotesque mound of flesh and bones: Buboes and blisters filled with yellow pus pulsate on their rotten hides, spikes of bone protrude from their diseased bulk like the needles of a porcupine, drips of black saliva containing an abundance of miasmas drip from their yellowed fangs. Subject to constant torture and brutal conditioning from the apothecaries, these barely-alive beings are stripped of their sanity, leaving only primal urges of savagery and bloodlust. * 'Giant Bats '– The terrifying vampiric mistbats of Lordaeron were once only stuff of folklore; bedtime stories that mothers would tell to misbehaving children: a horrid beast able to grow a wingspan as wide as a horse and could cleave an armored man in two with its vicious claws. With the land left saturated with dark magic, these elusive beasts absorbed the massive twisted energy to become even more bloodthirsty monsters, that the Forsaken now prize as aggressive steeds to ride into the heat of battle. * 'Abominations – Grotesque and repulsive constructs made from the flesh and bones of the dead, sewn together in a haphazard fashion and given life with dark magic. They say one could not find two abominations that are the same, for they come in such many forms and sizes, each fulfilling an equally disturbing role. What is clear is that, these golems are the perfect machines for war: hard to stop and utterly obedient. * Gorebrutes – The perfect example of the collaboration between the maniacal warlock-engineers and the diabolical apothecaries, gorebrutes are, essentially, abominations clad in dark-magic-enhanced heavy armor plates and outfitted with the eccentric and deadly inventions produced from the infernal forges of the Apothecarium. They are some of the most deadly creations the Forsaken has to offer. * Flesh Beasts – The crowning achievement of the Royal Apothecary Society's reanimation experiments, this monstrosity towers over any previous work of the craven apothecaries. A colossus of flesh and bone, these hideous constructs are engines of pure destruction, lumbering through ranks of soldiers and smashing through walls with the slightest ease, demoralizing any foe who could muster the courage to even gaze upon the ghastly creations. Forsaken War Machines * Plague Splatterer '– Although primitive in appearance compared to the other weaponry created by the Royal Apothecary Society, its effectiveness is without doubt. A rudimentary catapult or mangonel mounted upon a cart driven by skeletal horses or a host of zombies, this foul contraption hurls glass containers filled with whatever diseased mixture concocted by the apothecaries into enemy ranks and over fortified walls. * 'Luitdorf Cannon '– The pinnacle of mad engineer Luitdorf's inventions, the Luitdorf cannon is a marvel of engineering and the ultimate siege machine. Capable of launching focused bolts of dark-magic-enhanced lightning able to vaporize and entire company of soldiers and collapse the thickest of castle walls in an instant, it is a weapon as potent as it is expensive, with such intricate workings that the manufacturing of even a core of the weapon would require a tidy chunk off of the treasury. * 'Shrine of Shadows '– Driven into war by a band of fanatical aseptics, the shrine of shadows is an unholy icon of faith in the Forgotten Shadow. Atop of the altar stands a vicar with a tome of dark incantations which maintains a forboding portal leading into the void itself, when in position the vicar and aseptics chant dark maledictions from the unholy tome, summoning eldritch powers that could drive foes into a fit of delirium. Forsaken Lords * 'Executors '– Feared by foes for their flowing black capes, which earns them their eponymous nickname; they are commanders of the Forsaken's war machine, each powerful warriors and masterful strategists in their own. Despite with different personalities and habits ranging from individual to individual, one thing is certain: They are veterans of countless battles, ones they fought in life, and many as they fought in undeath. * 'Dark Rangers '– Once proud members of the Silvermoon Ranger Corps, these deathless elven warriors still remain loyal to their former commander. Bringing their lifelong training into their reanimation, they are archers and partisans unrivaled. Their skills in guerilla warfare and marksmanship have elevated many into positions of leadership, and their study into the Dark Arts have forged them into even more formidable combatants, silencing enemies while piercing their armors with cursed arrows. * 'Archvicar of the Forgotten Shadow '– An Archvicar is one of the highest ranking clergy within the Cult of the Forgotten Shadow. They are the apprentices and heralds of the High Sermonist and only two at a time may fill the rank, representing the Cult in the Leiteren Council. These powerful warrior-priests are the epitome of the Balance that the Cult seeks, capable of wielding the Light and Shadow in accord, and are no less skilled fighters in combat, cutting down foes with a swooping strike from their ritual scythes while protected by a suit of heavy armor blessed with the dark incantations from their unholy tomes. When war calls these individuals charge into battle headlong, leading and inspiring hosts of aseptics to their Ascension. * 'Master Apothecary '– The Master Apothecaries are the most brilliant minds of the Royal Apothecary Society, with only the most talented of the apothecaries able to be promoted to such a position. They are extremely knowledgeable individuals and rigorous scholars, dedicating their undeath to more obscure tomes and lorebooks in search for the formula to the perfect plague. However, if one would mistaken these studious individuals as mere alchemists with a streak of madness, they will pay for such a mistake, often with their very lives, for these well-versed individuals are also prestigious wizards of the Dark Arts, many able to conjure up the most ancient of morbid spells known through their years of study. Forsaken Heroes * '''Warlock-Engineers '– * 'Deathstalkers '– * 'Banshee '– * 'Black Champions '– Places of Interest Territories of the Kingdom of Lordaeron The Principality of '''Aemaen The Duchy of''' Corvia and Kaslain''' The Principality of Lordaeron The Grand County of Tuath and Mynaea Notable Individuals * 'Sylvanas Windrunner '– * 'Varimathas '– * 'Nathanos Blightcaller '– * 'Putress '– Known as Heyndrich Luitdorf in life, the figure known as Putress is the Grand Apothecary and Chief Engineer of the Royal Apothecary Society. One of the most brilliant and ambitious inventors the kingdom has ever seen, Putress is behind several of the most ingenious and deadly devices within the Forsaken arsenal. A polymath and scholar, Putress also serve as one of the Dark Lady's closest advisers, a relationship in which some would question where the talented Warlock-Engineer's true loyalty lies. * 'Matthias Faranell '– Master Apothecary Faranell is the aide to Grand Apothecary Putress and one of the five Master Engineers of the Royal Apothecary Society. An industrious epidemiologist during his early days, Faranell was said to have known every disease and ailment that had wrought havoc upon the Old World. Once determined to cure all disease inflicting mankind, he now utilizes his expertise to develop strands of plagues with new levels of depravity and deadliness. * 'Turathas Mortus '– * 'Alexey Barov '– * 'The Tall One '– The Tall One is the current High Sermonist of the Cult of the Forgotten Shadow and the spiritual leader of the Forsaken. * 'Ernst yst Brattengorf '– More commonly known by his Azerothi alias Aleric Hawkins, Ernst was the former head of Lordaeronian intelligence and current Master Assassin of the Deathstalkers.